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US vs China Life expectancy
United States overtook China in 2020. In 1960 China stood at roughly 48% of United States’s Life expectancy; today the figure is about 99%, and the pair was closest in 2023 (99%).
| Year | United States | China | China as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 69.77 | 33.42 | 48% |
| 1970 | 70.81 | 56.82 | 80% |
| 1980 | 73.61 | 64.24 | 87% |
| 1990 | 75.21 | 68.16 | 91% |
| 2000 | 76.64 | 72.29 | 94% |
| 2010 | 78.54 | 75.67 | 96% |
| 2020 | 76.98 | 78.02 | 101% |
| 2024 | 78.89 | 78.02 | 99% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass China in Life expectancy?
In 2020. United States’s published Life expectancy rose above China’s that year and the lead has held since.
How do United States and China compare today?
United States is ahead: 78.89 against 78.02 — the trailing economy stands at about 99% of the leader.
Are these Life expectancy figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — years — with no interpolation or estimation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: